Sunny Health

Apart from not taking lives, not consuming meat has lots of health benefits. So why not make vegetarian meals a more common affair in your life instead of that once-in-a-blue moon effort?

A healthy vegetarian diet is typically low in fat and high in fibre. Hence, vegetarians are at lower risk of developing:
• Heart disease
• Colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancers
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• High blood pressure

Essentially, there are no health hazards associated with being vegetarian. Just look at the monks from Shaolin Temple. They can even execute martial art moves with great gusto that most meat-eaters can’t! Perhaps the only health challenge brought about by lack of meat is missing out on some essential vitamins. That can be remedied with a well-planned and varied vegetarian diet. A healthy vegetarian diet can meet the needs of just about anyone, from children to pregnant women!


There are different types of vegetarian diets:

Lacto-vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, poultry and eggs and all foods that contain them. This means no dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter.

Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish and poultry, but allows dairy products and eggs.

Ovo-vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products, but allows eggs.

Vegan diet, the strictest of all, excludes meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products and foods that contain these products.

If you’re a beginner, and not going vegetarian for religious purposes, perhaps you want to go with the semivegetarian diet, or flexitarian diet. This is a largely plant-based diet that includes meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish on occasion or in small quantities.


A balanced vegetarian diet should include:

Grains and cereals: Wholegrain bread, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, muesli for carbohydrates and your energy needs.

Legumes, nuts and seeds: Soya beans. kidney beans, split peas, lentils, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds
The above 2 groups will provide you with protein.

Fruit and vegetables: One can never have too much Vitamin C. This would form the bulk of your diet, so eat as much as you want and try as many different varieties as possible. Different fruits and vegetables have varying amounts of vitamins and nutrients.

Dark and leafy greens such as spinach and mustard and also broccoli are rich in calcium and should be regularly consumed by vegans to make up for lack of calcium.

Dairy or soya products. If you can’t take dairy, soya products like tofu and soya milk are good substitutes for calcium. Soy milk products are rich in fortified Vitamin D, which is essential for absorption of calcium.

As eggs and dairy products are rich in certain nutrients that aren't easily attainable in regular vegetables and fruits, vegans may want to consider supplements or fortified products (food products artificially enhanced with certain rarer vitamins and nutrients. Check the labels!) for the following:

Calcium for strong and healthy bones

Vitamin D for absorption of calcium. Alternatively, get plenty of sun in the morning when the sun rays aren't unhealthily harsh.

Vitamin B12 to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia.

Omega-3 fatty acids for heart health. While many plant based products do contain this nutrient, conversion of plant-based omega-3 to the types used by humans is inefficient.

Iodine helps regulate metabolism, growth and function of key organs. It is very important that vegans get sufficient iodine because a deficiency can lead to goiter. Furthermore, some plant-based products like soybeans, cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cauliflower, cabbage, cress, bok choy, broccoli) and sweet potatoes may promote goiter. You can consume a 1/4 teaspoon of iodized salt as a daily supplement.


How to start

If you’ve been a regular meat-eater, you don’t want to go cold turkey with a salad for every meal; you’ll probably scare yourself off. Haste makes waste. Start slowly, have a mix of regular and meatless diets, then gradually increase the number of meatless meals that you enjoy per week.

Take some of your favourite dishes and substitute the meat ingredients with plant-based products. You may find that some dishes don’t even require much substitution and still taste great. You can even add mock meats to your dishes, but be careful not to get too hooked on them as they are processed foods, and may contain high amounts of MSG and sodium.  

Create variety in your diet! Search for vegetarian recipes online and in cookbooks. Visit vegetarian restaurants and try their dishes. The more variety of dishes you bring into your diet, the more wholesome your diet, and the more you will enjoy your new diet.

Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446?pg=2
http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/vegetarian.htm
http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/nutrition_&_eating_concerns/being_a_vegetarian.php